Best Poems Ever Written

What is the best poem ever written? – This is a question that everyone feels differently about. Everyone has a different opinion about poetry so everyone has a different favourite. However, here are a few that should feature quite high on anyone’s list of favourites.

The Tiger by William Blake

The first line of the poem ‘Tiger, tiger burning bright’ is probably one of the most famous in poetry. Even those who do not know the rest of the poem will recognise the first line. The poem is about the idea of creation. It asks the question if there is a God, why is there such a thing as evil in the world? The tiger represents the evil of things like war. The poet explains the question to the reader and does supply clues to the answer but not a definite answer. This question is still one that humans ponders every day.

Daffodils by William Wordsworth

This is a very famous and extremely popular poem and details the poet’s spring walk, which brings him across a field of daffodils. This poem showcases the beauty of nature and it was written at a time when the industrial revolution was in full swing so for most people the landscapes were starting to fill with mills and factories. During the poem the flowers become a companion to the poet as he reflects on their beauty.

Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare

The rhyming couplets of the sonnets make these poems by England’s greatest-ever wordsmith some of the best poems in history. Sonnet 18 is the one that begins ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?’. Even for those who are not familiar with the rest of the work, this is a famous first line. The narrator is telling the object of their affection that they are better than a summer’s day as their beauty will not fade, lasting longer than summer.